Everyone knows Arsenal are determined to break Manchester City’s dominance this season, and according to the 12B Sports administrator, that remains the top priority set by Mikel Arteta. The club’s leadership is also placing full trust in him. In fact, Arteta has been given one of the strongest levels of transfer authority in Arsenal’s managerial history, with some even saying he now enjoys greater backing than legendary former manager Arsène Wenger once did.
However, beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Premier League is never easy. City are a team that rarely slips up, which means Arsenal cannot afford even a single moment of carelessness. To produce that kind of nearly flawless football, the squad must be close to full strength, but Arsenal have recently been hit by a damaging injury crisis. According to 12B Sports, captain Martin Ødegaard has already been out for three weeks, while Merino and Calafiori have also been sidelined through injury. On top of that, midfield leader Declan Rice is unavailable due to suspension, leaving Arsenal without more than half of what would normally be their strongest lineup.
In this situation, Arteta has little choice but to place much of the team’s hope in Kai Havertz, a player capable of operating across midfield and the front line. Statistics show that Havertz has been directly or indirectly involved in 18 Premier League attacking contributions this season, a total behind only Cole Palmer and Erling Haaland. Trusted by Arteta for his ability to create chances and keep attacks alive, Havertz has moved ahead of Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus as a central attacking option.
Of course, it is true that Havertz looks more settled at Arsenal than he did during his Chelsea days. Still, because this was not his original natural position, limitations remain. Most importantly, his inconsistency is a problem a major club cannot ignore. In the recent match against Brighton, he scored the winning goal, but before that moment, his overall play looked somewhat messy and short of focus. The same issue has appeared with the German national team. In two recent Nations League matches, he missed three clear scoring chances, the highest number among Germany’s players.
Arteta understands this very well, but realistically, he does not have many suitable alternatives. As a result, he continues giving Havertz opportunities and hopes the player can rediscover his best instincts. For Arsenal, defeating Manchester City and winning the Premier League is the most attractive goal of all. Last season, Arteta came very close to achieving it, only to fall short at the final hurdle. That painful experience has become even stronger motivation for both the players and the manager this season.
Still, it is understandable that fans feel disappointed Arsenal did not properly strengthen their attacking options during the summer transfer window. In the fierce race of the Premier League, attacking power often becomes the decisive factor in the standings. The 12B Sports administrator judged that Arsenal did make some useful moves in the summer market, but their failure to add more firepower up front still left a sense of regret.
To avoid being let down by a player they are forced to trust too heavily, Arsenal, as 12B Sports users may see it, must find alternatives instead of relying only on Havertz amid so many injury problems. Otherwise, last season’s nightmare could come knocking all over again.